Xavier-UCLA: postgame III

Bruin Coach Ben Howland told CBS-TV’s Verne Lundquist after the game, "We played very well. We played good defense. I think that’s 14 wins in a row, so struggling is a matter of perspective. As long as these guys get the ‘W,’ that’s all that matters and they’ve done a terrific job the entire year, and we’re honored to represent the West and go to San Antonio."

In the postgame news conference, Howland was calm, but you could tell how excited he was about beating Xavier and winning decisively. He immediately noted the Bruin defensive effort that held the Musketeers to just 36% shooting and called that "really the key to the game, and outboarding them by eight.

"They got off to a good start on the offensive glass with seven offensive rebounds in the first five minutes of the game. So we did hold them to seven the last 35 minutes, and I thought that all five of these guys had terrific games up here, and it was a great team effort. I was especially pleased with Luc [Richard Mbah A Moute] getting a double-double. When he gets on the boards like that, and seven offensive rebounds, it’s incredible.

"I thought Darren [Collison] did a great job handling their pressure. I thought Russell [Westbrook] was outstanding defensively on [Stanley] Burrell; he had eight points. Josh [Shipp], I was so excited, as he knows, when I see that jump-stop and pass to Kevin [Love] for the dunk early in the second half, that brings joy to my heart, as all these guys know. So, it was a great overall team effort and Darren did a great job running the show, and we’re getting spoiled with Kevin getting a double-double — which seems to happen a lot — and his teammates did a great job getting the ball down low. And he actually knocked down his threes today — two for four. Anyway, it’s a great win for us and we’re excited about the opportunity to advance to San Antonio."

>> What about making it to another Final Four?

"Obviously, it’s unbelievable. I think it’s only happened three times now since they’ve gone to the field of 64, so that’s a real credit to how good our players are and how well they perform under pressure and over the last three years. As I said before, I think this is by far the best team in the last three years because we do have a key ingredient in an inside player who can score and rebound like nobody else in the country, along with all the experience and the outstanding perimeter play of Luc, Josh, Darren andLorenz Russell. And, also, our bench has been very good. I think James Keefe has done a terrific job [as well as] Lorenzo [Mata-Real] [and] Alfred [Aboya]. I know these guys played a lot of minutes tonight, but that’s what they’ve been doing all year. So, it’s exciting. I’m proud and very grateful.

"Obviously, the guys that returned from the previous couple of years have had that tough loss against Florida both times. And it was obviously very disappointing. We were beaten by a great team; both years, Florida was just special. I think that the experience the guys that played on those two teams have gained along with Russell and James really helps this team, and I think this is the best field for the Final Four this year in the past three years. It doesn’t matter if it’s Louisville or Carolina, Texas or Memphis, Davidson or Kansas, this is going to be the toughest four teams that’s been in this tournament in a while. And that’s going to make it doubly difficult for us."

>> Asked about why the Bruin defense is so good, he said, "I think the key is we have players who have quick feet and you’ve got to have quick feet and play defense not with your hands or your arms, but with your feet, so that’s really the difference, I think."

>> Howland was asked about Love and how he’s helped the Bruins. "He’s a great player, again he was MVP of the Regional and deservedly so, and with that maturity, answering all the questions he was asked up here, there were some curve balls thrown. You know he’s very, very mature. He has a special gift and he is an outstanding leader, and he leads a lot of times through example with his competitiveness, his toughness, his battle in the way he battles. I was watching that Texas A&M game; it was just amazing how he was battling with those seven blocks in that game. He does whatever it takes to help his team win and he’s very verbal. He’s obviously very intelligent and bright and has the respect of his teammates and has earned it."

>> He also was asked about Collison and his comments about how Howland is much more like another player than a coach. "The part I heard that I’ll ask him about is, ‘I don’t like it all the time.’ But it means a lot to me that he feels my passion, that he knows I’m with them 110% all the time. And we’re always striving to play a perfect game, knowing that we never will, but knowing that we worked really, really hard and spent a lot of time and effort in preparation for every opponent and really work hard at our games and really sacrificed for one another. It’s a total team effort and [the] guys have just been fantastic."